Esther chapter 10 is pretty short, isn’t it? There are some important lessons for us to find in it, though.
King Xerxes imposed tribute throughout the empire, to its distant shores. And all his acts of power and might, together with a full account of the greatness of Mordecai, whom the king had promoted, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Media and Persia? Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews, and held in high esteem by his many fellow Jews, because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews.
Esther 10:1-3 NIV
I suppose the fact that King Xerxes taxed his empire isn’t a huge surprise. That’s what rulers and governments usually do.
However, Mordecai, a guy whose ancestors came from another country, and who was living in a pagan capital city while raising his orphaned cousin, ended up doing unexpectedly well. Not only was he powerful in the Persian empire – the kingdom of Xerxes – but his own people respected him, too. I suppose that other Jewish people could have jealously called him a sellout, or Mordecai could have let his power go to his head and become selfish, but instead, Mordecai stood up for his people and they appreciated him for it.
While he was a human being, I think that a lot of Mordecai’s behavior is a good example for us: He looked out for his cousin. He reported a plot against the king (rather than joining in on the conspiracy). He encouraged his cousin (queen Esther) to do the right thing. He issued a solution to the impending genocide of the Jewish people. And, per the passage above, “he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews”.
So, is this book of Esther correctly titled in our Bibles?
- Is it really about Esther, the orphaned Jewish girl who became queen and bravely entreated the king on her people’s behalf?
- Is it actually about Mordecai, who complemented his service for others with a drive to make things happen when necessary?
- Is it a cautionary tale about Haman, who let his pride lead to his downfall?
- Is this book about Xerxes, who approved of both an order to kill the Jews, and an order to let them defend themselves?
Or, is this account really about the God who isn’t named in the text, but clearly worked through all of these people (as well as the pur that was cast and probably all sorts of other things) for the miraculous preservation of His people? I suppose that if every book of the Bible was named for the God who was at work in it, or whose words were inspired and recorded within it, we’d have a tough time keeping track of which book was which!
Regardless, the account of the book of Esther involves a number of people, none of whom were perfect, but all of whom served their part in God’s plan: those that did the right thing to their credit, and those that did the wrong thing to their demise. Which sort of participant in God’s story will you be? No matter how messy your past, God can turn things around for your future…all you have to do is let Him.
From Sunday School lesson prepared for July 28, 2024
References:
- The Lookout, July 28, 2024, © 2024 Christian Standard Media.
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- The Bible and Archaeology, by J.A. Thompson, © 1962, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., p.166-171.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – Esther & Daniel, by Mark Mangano. © 2001 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 